Is your construction site a soft target?

Posted on 6th August 2014.

1 in 5 sites are vandalised each week – DON’T be one of them

If recent news is to be believed, the UK economy is not only back on its feet, it’s stronger than ever and raring to go. With growth forecasted at 3.2% this year and a predicted 2.7% growth rate set to see us through 2015, things couldn’t be better, right? Well, one thing you should be aware of is that the building market is bolstering these figures significantly however, could the reason for the upswing in our economy be the one area facing the worst threats on our road to recovery?

Unfortunately as with all good news stories, there is a dark untold tale waiting to be heard and just this month it reared its ugly head and shocked us all.

Did you know that 1 in 5 construction sites experience vandalism every week?

Following the recent release of a specially commissioned white paper investigating the challenges the construction industry faces, the shocking crimes that city based developments fall victim to have been revealed and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Each year, vandalism and theft costs this country’s already vulnerable construction industry £1 million EVERY DAY. One million pounds every single day. It sounds like a bad joke, doesn’t it?

So why are our construction sites so badly affected? According to leading experts, it’s because these huge, exposed and open structures are seen as what’s known as a ‘soft target’ meaning the chance to steal metal or other costly material outweighs the odds of being caught. Commonly also viewed as a ‘low risk’ crime because of the unlikely chance that the stolen goods are ever recovered, to some, your construction site is like a sitting duck waiting to be taken advantage of. A developer’s nightmare, an insurer’s worst case scenario and a hugely damaging knock-on (not to mention costly) affect to your project’s continuity – it might seem like nothing can stop these awful thieves and vandals but help is on hand.

Are you a soft target?

The first step to combat any challenge is to always take stock of your situation and ask yourself a few, simple questions. Are the site’s access points easily compromised? Do I have expensive materials lying around in clear view overnight? Is my site visible from roads? What is crime like in the area? What is the contingency plan should we experience vandalism to the point where our site is no longer secure? We can help you answer all these questions and bringing with us a wealth of knowledge, experience and a few war stories to tell you on the way, together we can ensure you are no longer viewed as a soft target.

How can you safe guard your construction site?

Construction site security services come in many different shapes and sizes. There’s no one size fits all solution however there are a series of tried and tested measures we can roll out to safeguard your property. From mobile security patrols to static officers who are specially trained in health and safety in order to protect not only your property but your staff too, with Churchill, you can expect only the best services from the UK’s leading construction security provider.

Remember, a one off theft to a construction site costs on average £50,000 in lost materials, damaged scaffolding and disruption to your schedule. Ask yourself today, is your site protected or are you running the risk of becoming a sitting duck?

For a helping hand and some simple guidance, call us today and we can chat through the many options we will put in place to make sure you aren’t a reoccurring victim of theft, vandalism or worse.

John is highly motivated and an asset to Churchill's team with over eight years of experience within the industry. As a director in the company John is responsible for managing the client relationship team, John ensures that every client is listened to in order for Churchill to provide the best, high quality, cost-effective service that meets their specific requirements.